National Basketball Association

Twitter Fingers: Anthony Edwards calls foul on LaMelo Ball winning Rookie of the Year

Published Jun. 16, 2021 6:33 p.m. ET

It’s a really busy day in the NBA.

On Wednesday, the league handed out its sixth and final major individual award, and Charlotte Hornets star point guard LaMelo Ball was named the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year.

The third overall pick beat fellow finalists Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton and Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards for the top honor, and Edwards didn't take the news lightly.

The No. 1 overall pick couldn't hold back on social media. He shared a post on his Instagram page from a fan that read "Robbed !!! @theanthonyedwards_ @melo U know u can't f--- with that man! Give the trophy back and tell the truth!"

Edwards took down the post shortly after sharing it to his more than 671,000 followers, but he continued to share dozens of other posts in his favor. He then took to Twitter to agree with a fan who said the league has "poked the bear" by snubbing him.

He also "liked" a tweet from a fan who responded critically to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski's initial announcement. It's safe to say Edwards feels some type of way about Ball taking home the ROY trophy.

Ball, on the other hand, showed nothing but gratitude on social media after the news broke.

He was named Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month three times this season and is just the third player in Hornets history to win the ROY award, joining Larry Johnson (1991-92) and Emeka Okafor (2004-05).

Despite missing 21 games because of a wrist injury, Ball averaged 15.7 points, 5.9 rebounds and 6.1 assists in the regular season to lead the Hornets to a Play-In Tournament appearance. He led all rookies in assists and steals (1.6) and finished second in scoring.

In 51 games, Ball averaged 28.8 minutes per game, shooting 43.6% from the floor – including 35.2% from 3-point range – and 75.8% from the free-throw line. He finished the regular season with seven double-doubles, second among rookies.

At just 19 years, 140 days old, Ball became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple-double. In a 113-105 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Jan. 9, he tallied 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists while shooting 69% from the field and 75% from 3-point range. It was the season's only triple-double by a first-year player.

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Edwards, on the other hand, averaged 19.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists across 72 games in the regular season. He averaged 32.1 minutes per game while shooting 41.7% from the floor – including 32.9% from 3 – and 77.6% from the free-throw line.

At 19 years, 225 days old, he became the third-youngest player in NBA history to record a 40-point game, behind LeBron James (19 years, 88 days) and Kevin Durant (19 years, 200 days). Edwards also scored a career-high 42 points in a March win against the Phoenix Suns, and he broke the Timberwolves' record for points by a rookie in a three-game span (105 from March 14 to 18).

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Here's how the NBA world reacted to the news.

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